5 beautiful bath shops across Canada

Stores We Love

5 beautiful bath shops across Canada

We asked some of our country’s top designers to reveal their favourite
bathroom design shops for bathroom fittings, fixtures, hardware, linens and toiletries across Canada. Here’s what they came up with.

Ginger'sLocated in Toronto,
Ginger’s is a designer hot spot that boasts contemporary and traditional products fit for any
bathroom project. Their newest line, Italy-based Fantini, is a stylish collection of clean-lined taps.
Ginger's, 95 Ronald Ave, Toronto.CiotEstablished in Montreal in 1950,
Ciot originally manufactured terrazzo, then began to import other stone and ceramic products. They’ve now expanded their reach and their inventory to include top-of-the-line
bath fixtures, wash basins and accessories.
Ciot, locations in Ont. and Que.Robinson Lighting & Bath CentreThis store keeps the West Coast up to date with good quality bath and
lighting products. It’s stocked with some of the best names in the biz, including (but not limited to) Kohler, Grohe, BainUltra, Blanco and Duravit.
Robinson Lighting & Bath Centre, locations in B.C., Alta., Sask. and Man.Bradford Decorative Hardware StudioIf hardware is the jewellery of the home, then
Bradford Decorative Hardware Studio is the Tiffany & Co. of the hardware world. Make your bathroom sparkle with their beautiful selection of knobs, pulls, hooks, towel bars and soap dishes.
Triple Robe hook from $88, Bradford Decorative Hardware Studio, 1626 West 2nd Ave., Vancouver.Jacob & SebastianThis store carries a well-curated range of international beauty brands. Stock your
bathroom with beautifully packaged toiletries, including Mario Badescu, Red Flower NYC and Paul & Joe. Want to bring home a sample? Just ask!
Jacob and Sebastian, 622 Queen St W, Toronto.

Get the look: Sleek and modern home office

Office

Get the look: Sleek and modern home office

Get the look of interior designer Jenifer Glover's clutter-free workspace.

Tasked with creating her personal home office, interior designer Jenifer Glover lets one thing be known: Style is strategic. Here's how to mimic her masterful ways.

1 Make a giant bulletin board on the cheap with corkboard, burlap and grosgrain ribbon to maintain order and lend warmth and texture to a room.

2 Instead of searching high and low for a stylish t-shaped desk, construct one yourself by placing three tables together. Keep the expansive workspace clutter-free by storing everyday items in pretty baskets and pots.

3 Ditch flimsy file folders in favour of sturdy clipboards hung on a wall in a simple grid arrangement. Think of it as a practical take on the gallery wall. ideal for keeping track of important papers or showcasing inspiring photos and phrases.

4 Organizing shelves well is something of an art form. A reliable rule of thumb? Choose items in varied shapes and sizes, such as textured baskets and decorative objets, to add dimension and character.

Organizing Ideas

99 low-cost organizing tips

Organizing Ideas

99 low-cost organizing tips

Getting and staying organized isn't easy. If you're struggling to conquer clutter once and for all, our simple 99 organizing tips should help get you started.

We know, we know: getting organized at home can be easier vowed than done. But even if you’re short on time (and budget), there are dozens of ways you can get your house in order. Here are 99 of our favourite low-cost organizing tips; many of them are environmentally friendly, too!

A stunning kitchen design that proves open display may require more organization, but it's so beautiful it's worth it!Author: Janis Nicolay

1 Use old baby-food jars to hold spices. Stash them in a drawer upside down so this recycling trick looks sleek, not cheap.

2 Store all your instruction manuals in one binder in the kitchen or pantry.

3 Collect your takeout menus in a binder. Or stuff them into a Ziploc bag and stash 'em – where else? – in the fridge or cupboard.

4 Use a cardboard six-pack container to carry condiments from kitchen to deck in BBQ-casual style.

5 Keep a tray or basket on the kitchen counter where kids can drop off permission slips and adults can put mail requiring immediate action. A second tray can handle lower-priority paperwork.

6 Don’t waste time constantly topping up cereal-sized food storage containers with dog or cat kibble. Use a metal trashcan to store one bag at a time in rodent-proof style.

7 Use a recharging station to keep your cell phone, MP3 player and other portable device cords untangled and your gadgets fully charged.

28 Store batteries in plastic berry baskets until you’re ready to drop them off at the recycling centre.

29 Ditto for compact fluorescent bulbs and orchard fruit baskets.

30 Big, busy family? Paint one entire wall in your mudroom in chalkboard paint so everyone can easily leave messages for one another.

31 Keep one basket per person in your mudroom or front entrance, so everyone knows where to drop off/find their personal on-the-go essentials like keys, bags, homework etc.

32 Designate a back-to-car zone by your entranceway, and put anything there that requires returning to the trunk – i.e. reusable grocery bags, empties – so the next person to use the car will remember to bring them.

33 Remove the front and back from a picture frame and string rows of wire across the centre. Hang it or lean it against the wall and hook earrings onto each wire.

45 For preschoolers too young to use hangers with ease, install a low bar in the closet and simply drape dresses and pants across it to keep them wrinkle-free and easily accessible.

46 Have your child plan their wardrobe one school week at a time. Store outfits within five stacking cubbies or on five combination hangers (hangers with a bar and clips to hold pants as well as a top) to streamline their morning routine.

47 Keep sheet sets organized by folding and storing the fitted sheet, flat sheet and pillowcase inside the second pillowcase.

48 If you don’t want to buy stacking shoeboxes, recycle the cardboard boxes your shoes came in by cutting out a panel at one end for visibility and ventilation.

73 Hold onto paint chips, fabric swatches and brochures from your last redecorating session. You never know when you’ll need to reference them. Store them in an accordion file.

74 On your mudroom wall, hammer in two nails, then string wire between them. Provide clothes pegs and have your kids hang their wet mittens and gloves to dry overnight.

75 Banish tiny piles of coins and start saving in style. Get a designer piggy bank and keep it by the entranceway, laundry or kitchen—wherever you’d like to dump your change.

76 Tired of that circa-90s cast-iron pot rack? Move it from the kitchen to the garage or potting shed and use it to keep garden tools organized.

77 Get – and use – a garden hose caddy.

78 Edit your hangers. Choose: wire, plastic or wood and unify the hangers in every closet.

79 Use pillboxes to stash your earrings and rings when traveling.

80 Use a soda-can dispenser in the fridge so you can access your pop easily without tipping.

81 Use a wall-mounted broom and mop holder, or tie ribbon loops on the end of poles and hang them from hooks in your closet, garage or utility closet.

82 Make a party kit. Stash napkins, extra glassware and plates, votive candles and holders, extra vases, cocktail picks and other necessities in an old wine crate and pull it out pre-party or pre-holiday entertaining so you don’t waste valuable cupboard space.

83 Use a binder to store all medical records and information for everyone in your family, including each pet. Use dividers for each family member and include plastic pouches or expandable pockets to contain receipts and tiny record cards.

96 Mount a magnetized knife rack to a wall in your utility closet or basement, to keep your most commonly used screwdrivers and wrenches handy, not buried in the toolbox.

97 Donate your battery-powered emergency flashlights and stock up on windup models so you never have to worry about replacing batteries.

98 Stop stressing over the emergency preparedness kit the Canadian government recommends all families have. Just make one and get on with your life. Visit getprepared.ca to learn what to put in it. Stash it in a rolling suitcase so it’s mobile in case you have to be, too.

99 Plan a closet clean-out once per season. Less mess makes staying organized a lot easier.

If you’re an Instagram fanatic like us, you’ll love our round-up of design accounts to follow in 2016. Jam-packed with drool-worthy photography, each and every one will give you serious design lust and inspire you to switch things up this year, take risks with your decor and ultimately help you create a space that’s a true and beautiful reflection of you. (Oh and hey – give us a follow too if you’re not already!)

Photo Gallery

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

1 @amerrymishap

Black and white and gorgeous all over, Jennifer of A Merry Mishap sure knows how to inspire design lust. Within the constraints of a mostly neutral palette, she brings much drama and life to her minimalist style, creating vignettes that are simple but layered. For more: amerrymishapblog.com

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

2 @simplygrove

Lots of white and gold dominate Kirsten Grove’s Insta and we love it! With plenty of photos of her own home, you’ll get an immediate sense of her lovely, laidback look that’s styled but not stuffy and chock full of design eye candy. For more: simplygrove.com

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Kristen Grove

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

3 @ohhappyday

Jordan Ferney’s Instagram account is an explosion of colour. She’s clearly a DIY doyenne and she’ll have you turning your drawers upside down to find scissors, hole punches and that ball of twine you know you’ve got lying around somewhere. Visit her blog for decorating advice and easy DIYs for every day of the year. For more: ohhappyday.com

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Jordan Ferney

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

4 @mrorlandosoria

As the creative director of HomePolish Los Angeles, Orlando Soria knows design. In his own words, his site hommemaker.com and by extension, his Instagram account, is for men who are creative and who enjoy being homemakers. “Dudes, too, can be domestic,” he says. YES! We love a design-for-all approach! For more: hommemaker.com

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Orlando Soria

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

5 @benjaminvandiver

At times moody and brooding and at others, white, bright and airy, Benjamin Vandiver’s Insta is a play on contrasts. There’s lots of black but it’s dramatic, not dark. As owner and creative director of Benjamin Vandiver Interiors, a brand he founded in 2012, Benjamin has caught the eye of many arbiters of style, not the least of which was Architectural Digest who named him ‘one to watch’. For more: benjaminvandiver.com/about/

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Benjamin Vandiver

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

6 @inadesignerhome

If you dream of living in a designer home, look no further than @inadesignerhome for inspiration. This Sydney-based account features a beautifully curated collection of home interiors that celebrate Australian and international designers. For more: inadesignerhome.com.au

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: In a Designer Home

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

8 @myscandinavianhome

If you love vintage, mid-century modern and Scandinavian design, you’ll find all three blended effortlessly into the images on @myscandinavianhome’s Instagram account. Created by a London girl living in Sweden, her images will set you daydreaming as you peruse her photos of Nordic-inspired interior design and swoon-worthy home tours. For more: myscandinavianhome.com

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

9 @witanddelight

Kate Arends knows design and her focus on helping her community achieve a life well lived is apparent in every post. Her own home, which is featured prominently, is a designer’s dream and her farmhouse-inspired kitchenis to die for! For more: witanddelight.com

Image by: Style at Home
By: Natalie DiScala
Source: Kate Arends

10 design Instagrammers to follow in 2016

10 @kellywearstler

You probably already know Kelly Wearstler; in the past two decades, her boutique design firm has become a globally recognized brand, particularly through her work in the hotel industry. Her Instagram account will not only inspire with photos of current and past projects but also provides an insider’s look at her creative genius and West Coast interior design style. For more: kellywearstler.com/home

Organizing Ideas

10 things to do in December

With the holiday season is upon us, make the most of this month by tackling these tasks.

As the song says, it's the most wonderful time of the year – and it only lasts a few weeks. Avoid seasonal stress by staying organized and having realistic expectations of what you can achieve. To help you make the most of the holiday season, here are 10 things to do this December.

1 Clean out the freezer
It's all too easy to let food accumulate in the freezer – and before long, not only is it too crowded to make room for more, but there are items in the back that should probably be thrown away. Set aside some time to organize your freezer – you may be amazed at what you'll find in there.

2 Make a wreath
Not only is a wreath on the front door inviting, but it really makes a house look like a home. If you've got the time, add a personal touch to your outdoor decor by making your own instead of buying one. And if you're really feeling inspired, make two and give the second to a friend as an early Christmas gift.

3 Get organized for gift wrapping
To save time during the hectic Christmas shopping season, set up a gift-wrapping station in an out-of-the-way spot in your home -- it will make it easy to wrap gifts as you buy them, and you won't be hunting around the house for the scissors, silver ribbon or gift tags. If you haven't got the space for a separate gift-wrapping table, put all your supplies in a couple of wicker baskets in the closet or under the bed for easy access.

4 Decorate the kitchen
Don't limit your holiday accents to the living room and entryway -- think about ways you can bring the spirit of the season into every room, including the kitchen. Try decorating the windowsill with candles and cedar boughs, putting a miniature Christmas tree on a shelf or draping doorways with garlands. For a finishing touch, simmer spices in water on the back of the stove to infuse your home with the comforting scent of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.

5 Cook up some appetizers
Get ready for guests – whether expected or impromptu – by preparing a selection of appetizers ahead of time. Just pick recipes that can be made in advance and frozen, and you could have a season's worth of hors d'oeuvres ready in an afternoon.

6 Host a cookie exchange
Rather than devoting hours of free time to baking each of your favourite holiday treats, arrange an exchange with friends and family. Organize it so that each person bakes a different type of cookie, enough to share around with everyone in the group. Don't forget to make a few extras to serve while everyone's exchanging the goods!

7 Hang some mistletoe
The custom of kissing under the mistletoe is said to come from an ancient Scandinavian tradition that when enemies met in the forest under mistletoe, they were to lay down their arms and observe a truce for the following day. Continue the tradition by hanging mistletoe in your home during the holiday season – and spread peace and goodwill among your guests.

8 Donate to the food bank
During this season of feasting, remember those who are less fortunate by bringing non-perishable food items or a monetary donation to your local food bank. Consider offering your time, as well, to help sort donations or perform other necessary tasks.

9 Let in the fresh air
It may be getting chilly outside, but that's no reason to keep the windows locked tight. Shutting up the house lets indoor pollutants accumulate, especially if it's fairly new and therefore airtight. Let in the cool, crisp air of early winter by opening the windows for a few minutes daily – longer if the weather is cooperating – and enjoy the fresh scent of a well-aired home.

10 Make homemade eggnog
Eggnog is so rich and sinfully delicious, it's probably a good thing we don't drink it all year round. So don't settle for nog in a carton – it's easy to make your own, and the results are well worth the time spent.